How big is your world? An examination of environmental Racial composition on the racial identity of African American adolescents

John W. Miller, Jr
Terri Combs-Orme, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Abstract

Do African-American adolescents who live in a predominantly African-American community racially identify themselves differently than African-American adolescents who live in a predominantly European-American community? To determine this, the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI) was given to 101 African-American adolescents. A little more than half (5 7%) of study participants lived in a predominantly African-American community in South Carolina and the remaining 43% lived in a predominantly European-American community in Tennessee. Results indicate significant differences in racial identity attitudes between participants in SC and TN. Results also indicated that the concepts of Ideology, Regard, and Centrality that the MIBI examines may be too complex for adolescents under the age of 15, and a new factor, Self-Importance, was identified